Get the Most Out of Your Daylilies
With some extra care, daylilies can look good throughout most of the summer
Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) and their cultivars are landscape standards in temperate-climate zones throughout much of the world. These Asian natives perform well in a variety of growing conditions, from evenly moist, well-drained soils to somewhat dry conditions and average to fertile soils. They will tolerate some shade but bloom best in full sun.
While you can grow daylilies with minimal care, those plants will bloom weakly and the foliage will fade by midsummer. Regular care is needed to get the most out of your daylilies. Here are some steps you can take to optimally manage your daylily plantings.
While you can grow daylilies with minimal care, those plants will bloom weakly and the foliage will fade by midsummer. Regular care is needed to get the most out of your daylilies. Here are some steps you can take to optimally manage your daylily plantings.
‘Woodside Amethyst’ daylily is a nice example of a pinkish early-summer bloomer that grows to just under 3 feet in height.
1. Start with a good fertilizer and compost. Daylily care begins in early spring with a topdressing of 2 inches of weed-free compost and a little fertilizer (organic is best) to get the plants going. This may be sufficient to get a single round of flowering. Daylilies are rather heavy feeders, so continued feeding at two- to three-week intervals with a liquid fertilizer may be needed to have good-looking foliage throughout the summer.
How to Feed Your Plants for a Healthier Garden
1. Start with a good fertilizer and compost. Daylily care begins in early spring with a topdressing of 2 inches of weed-free compost and a little fertilizer (organic is best) to get the plants going. This may be sufficient to get a single round of flowering. Daylilies are rather heavy feeders, so continued feeding at two- to three-week intervals with a liquid fertilizer may be needed to have good-looking foliage throughout the summer.
How to Feed Your Plants for a Healthier Garden
This daylily border is full and lush, growing in a well-managed garden in the relatively mild summer conditions of Surrey, England.
2. Maintain consistent moisture. They can tolerate some dryness, but consistent moisture will help them look their best. It is not uncommon for plants to go dormant in hot-summer climates. The foliage will die back, then reappear when temperatures become more moderate.
2. Maintain consistent moisture. They can tolerate some dryness, but consistent moisture will help them look their best. It is not uncommon for plants to go dormant in hot-summer climates. The foliage will die back, then reappear when temperatures become more moderate.
This established bed of daylilies is taking a beating in the summer heat with minimal watering; daylilies in conditions like these do bounce back the following season.
3. Cut back old stems. To improve the appearance of the foliage, cut spent flower stems as low as possible. This also puts more energy back into the plant. Inevitably, some foliage will die back throughout the season. Cutting it out as it dies is tedious. If you can wait until the foliage dries completely, you can pull it out with a gentle tug or a combing action. If the foliage of the whole planting looks tattered, you can use a string trimmer to cut it all back to a couple of inches and rake it out. You should follow this up with some fertilizer and watering, if you are not expecting a good rain. In a week or so, new growth will fill in.
3. Cut back old stems. To improve the appearance of the foliage, cut spent flower stems as low as possible. This also puts more energy back into the plant. Inevitably, some foliage will die back throughout the season. Cutting it out as it dies is tedious. If you can wait until the foliage dries completely, you can pull it out with a gentle tug or a combing action. If the foliage of the whole planting looks tattered, you can use a string trimmer to cut it all back to a couple of inches and rake it out. You should follow this up with some fertilizer and watering, if you are not expecting a good rain. In a week or so, new growth will fill in.
Here we see the reblooming cultivar ‘Happy Returns’. It has clear yellow flowers and will bloom throughout most of the summer with proper care.
4. Choose repeat bloomers. Extremely popular in recent years are reblooming, or remontant, daylilies. These can bloom repeatedly throughout the season, from midspring through fall, or they may bloom once early followed by a fall bloom after a period of rest. Examples of reblooming cultivars are ‘Happy Returns’, ‘Stella de Oro’ and ‘Rosy Returns’.
To get this second bloom, you’ll need to pay a little extra attention. Removing the spent flowers after the first period of bloom allows energy to be put back into the plants, rather than its being used to produce seed. Continued feeding every two to three weeks with a liquid fertilizer (organic or otherwise) will help the plant build up the energy for continued bloom. Without the extra care, a reblooming daylily will dependably bloom only once in a season.
4. Choose repeat bloomers. Extremely popular in recent years are reblooming, or remontant, daylilies. These can bloom repeatedly throughout the season, from midspring through fall, or they may bloom once early followed by a fall bloom after a period of rest. Examples of reblooming cultivars are ‘Happy Returns’, ‘Stella de Oro’ and ‘Rosy Returns’.
To get this second bloom, you’ll need to pay a little extra attention. Removing the spent flowers after the first period of bloom allows energy to be put back into the plants, rather than its being used to produce seed. Continued feeding every two to three weeks with a liquid fertilizer (organic or otherwise) will help the plant build up the energy for continued bloom. Without the extra care, a reblooming daylily will dependably bloom only once in a season.
The invasive orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) is a common sight along many roadsides in the summer.
5. Divide plants. Most daylily cultivars are well-behaved in the garden. They do not produce excessive amounts of seed, and the masses expand slowly over time. Division may be needed every four to five years. Note that plants grown from seed may not perform the same as their parents.
A serious exception to this is orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva), also commonly known as ditch lily, tawny daylily or tiger daylily. This species is listed as invasive throughout much of eastern North America. It fills in rapidly in moist areas, like ditches and along roadsides, and displaces native vegetation. It spreads by seed and root fragments (stolons). One means of spreading is road construction, during which plants are dug up and the fill, containing root fragments and bulbs, is transported and used in other locations. If you have these plants growing on your property, be very careful how you cultivate around them, and try to avoid spreading their seed and roots.
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5. Divide plants. Most daylily cultivars are well-behaved in the garden. They do not produce excessive amounts of seed, and the masses expand slowly over time. Division may be needed every four to five years. Note that plants grown from seed may not perform the same as their parents.
A serious exception to this is orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva), also commonly known as ditch lily, tawny daylily or tiger daylily. This species is listed as invasive throughout much of eastern North America. It fills in rapidly in moist areas, like ditches and along roadsides, and displaces native vegetation. It spreads by seed and root fragments (stolons). One means of spreading is road construction, during which plants are dug up and the fill, containing root fragments and bulbs, is transported and used in other locations. If you have these plants growing on your property, be very careful how you cultivate around them, and try to avoid spreading their seed and roots.
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Daylilies are noted for their strap-like foliage and large flowers, mostly in the warm shades of yellow, orange and red. Some carefully bred cultivars also come in shades of pink, lavender and purple. Daylily cultivars range in size from compact, growing to about a foot tall, to tall, with flowers reaching up to 6 feet in height.
As the name implies, each flower lasts only a day. When designing a planting, consider the timing of the bloom in addition to color and size. Daylilies are often grouped by early-, mid- and late-blooming varieties. There are also reblooming cultivars on the market.
Caution: Daylilies can be toxic to cats.
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